The Concert
by LiddoAiren
Summary: It's the last concert of their tour. They're going to end it on a high note.


**I looked at the concept art of the male heroes in Act 3 of "Heroes of Maple" and thought, "Huh. These guys could totally be in a band together."**

 **And thus, this little one-shot was born. Completely written on the spot as well.**

 **Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

The sounds died out, the fans roared in applause, and the lights on each band member dimmed until they were all cloaked in darkness. While the lights on the stage were off, the stadium was kept illuminated by the flashlights emanating from the phones of fans.

"I LOVE YOU PHANTOM!" a girl could be heard screaming in the audience.

Although tempted to shout back, Phantom kept his lips sealed and instead chose to smile in the darkness, hoping it would reach the fans spiritually.

Stepping away from the microphone, Phantom performed a gathering motion with his hands.

"Alright now, together everyone!" he shouted to his friends/bandmates, his voice barely audible without the aid of the mic.

Whether it was by muscle memory or instinct, each band member walked over and huddled together in the center of the stage. Phantom could hear the pants of each member as they huddled, Eun-Wol being the most vocal as he had displayed the most energy playing the drums and serving as one of the backup vocals to Phantom.

"Alrighty, we're at the end of the setlist, but I'm still thinking we can squeeze in _that_ song. What do you guys think? Do you guys still think you can play?"

Each member voiced their approval in unity.

"Luminous? Are your fingers sore from strumming?"

"Of course not." the guitarist replied.

"Freud?"

The keyboard player cracked his fingers. "Same with me."

"Eun-Wol? Think you can keep drumming?"

"Absolutely."

The lead singer and bassist sighed in relief. "Alright everyone. Let's get back out there and nail it! We started with a bang, so let's end with a bang! Eun-Wol?"

Wordlessly, the drummer placed a hand in the center of the huddle. Other band members soon followed, placing theirs on top of the drummer's.

"On three…" the drummer started. "One...two...three!"

"FIGHTING!" the band shouted in unity before dispersing back to their instruments.

Heading back to the microphone and picking up his bass, Phantom closed his eyes. Through closed eyelids, he noticed light coloring his vision and and screams invading his ears. Slowly opening his eyes, he smiled at the crowd. After a minute of silence from the lead singer, the crowd's cheers faded.

When he could no longer hear voices among the crowd, Phantom spoke.

"Everyone...I want you all to look amongst yourselves today. I want you all to walk down memory lane for a bit. Take a quick moment to assess the life you've lived so far and who you are as a person. Embrace the emotions you feel. Do you feel proud? Determined? Or do you feel embarrassed? Unwanted? Unimportant?"

The singer took a brief pause to let the audience process his words and decide for themselves. The stadium stayed silent, but such was to be expected. Looking among the crowd, Phantom saw faces of contemplation and reflection. It was nice to see them taking his words seriously.

"For those of you out there who're feeling useless and unwanted, or that life is just too much for you to handle right now, I just want you to know that it's okay. It's okay to feel uncool. It's okay to be imperfect. Life isn't always rosy. It isn't some fancy floating ship that can take you wherever you want whenever you want. But whatever roadblocks or setbacks you experience, I want you guys to know that you all have the strength to make the best of it and strengthen yourself. On the other side of that dark tunnel you're walking in right now there is an ever expanding light that will brighten your life. All you need to do is just hold out for a little longer and push yourself through the tunnel and that light will come."

The crowd stayed silent as Phantom spoke. Looking through the crowd, he could see some audience members holding back their tears while others comforted them. To see so much unity and compassion among fans...it was truly a blessing.

"And you don't always have to do it alone. That's why we're here. To give you the strength and push you guys need to reach that light. To those who have their flashlights on, please be the light and hold them up high please! To those of you who are struggling to make it through the dark tunnel, this song's for you. And if you guys know the lyrics to this song, we'd love to hear you sing along."

The sound of guitar strumming and cheering immediately followed Phantom's speech. Looking over to his right, the lead singer smiled as his eyes met those of Luminous the lead guitarist. It was amazing to be surrounded by friends and fans who knew you so well.

 _24 floors...up in some hotel room_

The crowd sang in sync with Phantom, those with their lights on waving them side to side.

 _Feeling so low...thinking of jumping soon_

 _I look up and see the stars_

 _Look down at speeding cars_

 _Think of my family_

 _How they'll remember me_

 _Eyes closed, I see your face_

 _Breathe deep and hesitate_

 _I hear the words you'd say_

 _If you were here with me_

 _You'd say,_

The guitar quieted down for the chorus, helping everyone hear Phantom's voice.

 _You don't wanna die tonight_

 _Take one more breath to clear your mind_

 _Every moment's relevant_

 _Bittersweet and delicate_

 _Tomorrow may not come again._

Phantom's voice was low and shaking, almost as if he had experienced the feelings firsthand. Immediately after, the sound of percussion and horns playing could be heard. Their sound emanated throughout the stadium, no doubt due to Freud on the keyboard and Eun-Wol on the drums. Luminous's guitar went back to its full volume and together with everyone, they finished the song.

The crowd roared, even louder than they had ever heard at any of their tours. Swelling up with joy, each and every member bowed repeatedly at the applauding crowd.

"Thank you everyone! For singing this with us! For being here for us! Thank you so much!"

* * *

 **Song is "24 Floors" by The Maine. In my opinion, a very underrated band. Choosing was pretty difficult. I couldn't really tell which band they would be more like. The 1975? The Cab? Eventually I settled on these guys.**

 **What genre of music do you think these guys would play (or which band they would emulate/model after) if there were in a band? What do you think their band name would be?**


End file.
